An authors blog where you can find news, links and upcoming events and appearences.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Introducing Amir: Prince, Erudite and Anti-hero

I think the biggest concern I had when I finished The Princes of the Golden Cage was that the readers would not like the reluctant hero who is the main character in my book. Well, I ended up being wrong, thankfully. So I thought I should use this post to introduce readers of this blog (hopefully there is some) to the protagonists of my story: Amir, my lead player, and his half-brother Erik.

Prince Amir Ban is a loner with a penchant for alchemy, who’s never as happy as when his head is buried in one of his beloved science books. He is brooding, pessimistic and afflicted by sudden bouts of melancholy. His only wish is to be free. His sole ambition is to remain anonymous. He’s flawed, what can I say, I love flawed characters. They seem more real and more human to me. Amir also has great qualities. He is intelligent, brave, when need be, and capable of inner growth and acts of kindness. But I must admit that it is his weaknesses I love the most: his suspicious, sometime sarcastic, nature; the way his emotions overwhelm him when he falls in love with Eva, even how he keeps a festering grudge against his brother Darius.

Erik for his part is totally different than Amir. Not only physically—Erik is tall and blond, while Amir is shorter and dark—but also in temperament. Playful Erik is an eternal optimist. Ambitious and patriotic, he would jump at the chance to rule and displays a burning interest in the kingdom’s affairs. Amir, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about any of those matters. However, both brothers share a similar passion for swordplay. I think they form a good pair, as one possesses qualities the other lacks and vice versa.

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About Me

I’m a mystery, science fiction and fantasy writer. I grew up in Shippagan, New Brunswick, but now lives in Prince George, British Columbia with my husband and two Scottish terriers. For those who are wondering how to pronounce my name, the H in Nathalie is silent, and Mallet is pronounced like ballet, the dance, but with an M.
The Princes of the Golden Cage is the first installment in the Prince Amir Mystery series. The third book in the series, Death in the Traveling City, is now available.